Jain's favorite piece out of all of her creations! (Ruby and Gold enameled necklace)

All Photos from Taara Megha Jain a fabulous ABI (American Born Indian) raised in New York and created the brand Taara in Hong Kong! Who's inspiration is from her early years as a child roaming through India. Jain's goal is for her customers // wearers to wear the pieces as a statement piece a specially crafted piece to be worn on its own to be the star of the look. I absolutely agree with Jain's perspective on her designs it's definitely a statement piece that any girl can wear everyday in a everyday look or on a girls night out. My favorite piece out of her collection would have to be the bracelet it's super chic and the purple jewels just add a touch of color to the overall gold and silver tone piece.

1. Hi can you please introduce yourself? My name is Megha Jain and I am from New York. I moved to Hong Kong in 2008 and started my brand, Taara, in 2009. My heritage is Indian but i grew up in New York. I travelled to India several times a year as a child which has strongly influenced my design aesthetic. Each piece has been designed to be worn as a statement piece, worn by itself. Taara comes from the word ''Sitara'' which means stars in Sanskrit and this image is reflected in many of the pieces. The look and feel of the pieces bring the wearer back to the Mughal Empire, a time in history where opulence and fantasy was felt throughout the atmosphere. Each piece resembles what kings and queens wore in Rajasthan during that time. The stones are sourced in Jaipur and Udaipur and are set in silver with an antique finish. I am especially inspired by Udaipur, also known as ''The City of Lakes.'' The many lakes found around Udaipur reflect all the beautiful palaces and buildings that encompass the city and the bright colors against the water are stunning. Lake Pichola is one of my favorite lakes as the combination of the blue lake and the white buildings is ethereal. This image of reflection can be seen in many of my pieces, especially the ones with glass and mirror work. My newer collections have taken inspiration from new places such as Italy and Oman, but the foundation is always Indian.

2. What were your thoughts towards crowdfunding prior to using Zao Zao? I heard about crowdfunding while living in New York a few years back and was quite interested in the topic. I thought it was a great way to help give seed money to new designers and help spread the word in an interesting manner.

3. How did you feel when you found out your designs were successfully funded? I was ecstatic when i saw that my designs had been funded! The site has only been up and running for a week and I had two funded designs. I was extremely happy and pleased with all of the efforts that Vicky and Ling had done prior to the launch. Through marketing and PR, they had really developed a cult following for the site and created a lot of buzz.

4. What were your inspirations, for your designs? As mentioned in the first question, my inspirations started in India from an early age. Traveling back and fourth, I had certain images sketched into my mind and these images came fourth while drawing my first collection. As traveling is one of my favorite hobbies, I have been able to travel a lot with my husband and friends. Two places that have deeply inspired me are the Amalfi Coast in Italy and Muscat, Oman. The color of the water in Amalfi is magnificent and words cannot describe the purity and clarity of it. The Ridges of blue that form with each wave are stunning and this backdrop gave me such inspiration for my Holiday/Resort Collection for 2011/2012. My husband and i went to OMan for our honeymoon. I have always been fascinated by the Middle Eastern culture and Oman has preserved it well. THe minarets and mosques stand with such grandeur and the people are so proud of their heritage. The lattice work and the shapes of each minaret were amazing and this architecture shaped my fall 2012 collection.

5. What is one item that you absolutely crave out of all your creations? I absolutely love the necklaces from my new Kaleidiscope collection. The ruby and gold enameled necklace is my favorite as i want to wear it all the time!

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